This invention relates to a search and displaying apparatus, and is applicable to such as a portable search and display apparatus, which reads the data corresponding to the search terms entered by the user from a disc storage medium and displays them.
Heretofore, there has been proposed a portable search and display apparatus, in which enormous characters and image information of a word dictionary or an English-Japanese dictionary are stored in a disc storage medium as digital data, and data designated by a user are searched, in a short time, to display the data on a liquid crystal display.
Usually, such a search and display apparatus is composed of the main unit for reproducing the data stored in a so-called CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) and the display unit for displaying the reproduced data. The display unit is rotatably supported on to the main unit.
The conventional apparatus constructed thus comprises within a case a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU (Central Processing Unit)) controlling the processing for each unit, a reproducing unit, a data processing circuit and a display controller. The CPU controls the reproducing unit, the data processing circuit, the display controller and the liquid crystal display, so that the searched data read from the CD-ROM are displayed on the liquid crystal display, via the reproducing unit, the data processing unit, and the display controller.
In such a main unit, the whole size and weight thereof has been determined practically based on the size of the disc drive and the disc cartridge holding mechanism in the reproducing block, and the weight of the disc drive motor for rotatably driving the CD-ROM and the optical system for searching data. The thickness of the disc drive can not be made smaller than 20 [mm], considering the thickness of the disc cartridge for carrying the CD-ROM, the thickness of the holder for holding the disc cartridge and the thickness of the disc drive motor. With consideration of the other required components also, the miniaturization of the main unit is limited. Thereby it was inconvenient to carry it.
Further, in the U.S. Patent No. 4,855,725, there is shown a technology that an output of a CD-ROM reproducing apparatus controlled by means of a desk top computer is transmitted to an electronic book comprising a liquid crystal display using an IR transmitter. In this case, the CD-ROM drive is controlled by means of the desk top computer, and microprocessors as control devices are required to be provided both in the desk top computer and in the electronic book.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a portable search and display apparatus being smaller in size and lighter in weight than the conventional one and convenient to carry around.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of the search and display apparatus comprises a disc drive block having reproducing means for reproducing the recorded data stored in the disc storage medium; a display and control block made as a separate case and easily removable from the disc drive block, on which are mounted a display means, a semiconductor bulk storage means and a key signal input means; wherein the display and control block, while it is connected to the disc drive block, sequentially stores the reproducing data read from the reproducing block into the semiconductor storage means; and the display and control block, while it is disconnected from the disc drive block, displays the reproducing data stored into the semiconductor bulk storage means on the display means, based on the operation of the key signal input means.
The disc drive block and the display and control block are in separate cases and easily removable. While the display and control block is connected to the disc drive block, the disc drive block sequentially transmits the reproduced data read from the reproducing block to the semiconductor bulk storage means and stores the same, and while the display and control block is disconnected from the disc drive block, the reproducing data stored into the semiconductor bulk storage means based on the operation of the key signal input means are displayed on the display means. Thereby, if it is necessary to carry it around, only the compact display and control block need be carried around, thus improving the convenience of use.
According to the present invention, the display and control block which comprises display means, semiconductor bulk storage means, and key signal input means is made as a separate case which is easy to remove from the disc drive block reproducing the recording data from a disc storage medium. While the display and control block is connected to the disc drive block, the reproduced data read from the side of the disc drive block is sequentially transmitted to the display and control block and displayed thereon. Thereby, while being carried, the display and control block is disconnected from the disc drive block, and the reproduced data stored in the semiconductor bulk storage means is displayed on the display means according to the search condition inputted by the key signal inputting means, so that the necessary data can be freely searched without carrying the thick and heavy disc drive block. This feature enhances the convenience of the device.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.